Garbage disposals offer the convenience of grinding up food leftovers so you don't have to scrape plates into the trash any longer. It can also prevent clogs in the sink when you don't scrape your plates enough and food ends up going down a drain that doesn't have a disposal. Along with this convenience, there will come a time when you run into an issue with this appliance. Read on for a few common issues that you may have with your disposal and how to repair them.
1. Clogged Disposal
A clogged disposal is one of the most common issues you will encounter. If your disposal is clogged, it's most likely from misuse. You may have put something into your disposal that didn't belong in it, such as a bone, hard core or cob, or something else that is too hard for the disposal. If you have a clogged disposal, you'll need to remove the clog if you can. To do this, you'll need to turn off the disposal, then make sure there is no power at all to the appliance. If you unclog the disposal and didn't turn off the power, you could risk injury. Remove the clog with your hand if you can reach inside to get it, or you may need to disconnect the disposal to get inside to remove the clog. Once the clog is removed, test it out to be sure it is working again.
2. No Power
If your disposal doesn't have any power, as in you don't hear anything at all when you turn on the switch, you could have a burned out motor, which can happen when there was a clog that wasn't removed, or you may have blown a fuse. Check that your fuse wasn't blown and that the disposal is still plugged in or there aren't any problems with the wiring. If your power source isn't the problem, check that the motor hasn't burned up. You'll need to disconnect the power to the appliance, then remove the motor from beneath your sink. Open the disposal to view the motor properly. Take a look inside to see if anything was burned, or appears broken. If you don't see anything, you may need to hire a garbage disposal repair professional to repair your disposal for you.
These are just a few of the common issues you may encounter with a disposal. If you have a problem with your disposal that you aren't able to repair on your own, hire a professional repairperson to work on your appliance for you.
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